Very little is known about the prophet outside of what we read in this book. The opening verses gives us some information about the prophet Micah, “The word of the LORD that came to Micah of Moresheth in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.” He was from the small village of Moresheth which was on the southwestern border of Judah and Philistia, about 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem. It was close to the large Philistine city of Gath, so it was also called Moresheth Gath (1:14). From the kings which date Micah’s ministry, he would have been on the scene at the same time as Isaiah in Judah, and Hosea in Israel, but as is stated in this opening verse, Micah was sent by the LORD to both kingdoms: Israel (Samaria) and Judah (Jerusalem).
Micah is also referred to in the book of Jeremiah (about 100 years after the time of Micah) by some of the elders of the land of Judah who spoke to the people about Micah’s prophecy concerning the destruction of Jerusalem in chapter 3:12. They said, “Micah of Moresheth prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “Zion shall be plowed like a field, Jerusalem shall become heaps of ruins, And the mountain of the temple Like the bare hills of the forest”’” (Jeremiah 26:18).
For the Historical Background please see “Date and Historical Background” for the book of Isaiah and “Background” for the book of Hosea.
The arrangement of the book once again points to the fact that the prophecies were compiled over the lengthy years of Micah’s ministry. The book consists of three separate sections which each begin with the exclamation, “Hear!” (cf. 1:2, 3:1, 6:1). Throughout the book we read of God’s judgment of His people’s sins and a plea for the people to repent of those sins, but this is evenly balanced with many promises of restoration through the Messiah for the remnant who still believe. In these sections Micah rebukes the sin of idolatry (1:7), the preaching of false prophets (3:5-7), and even social injustice (6:10-12). Because of these sins Micah prophecies the destruction of Samaria (1:6-7) the destruction of Jerusalem (3:12), and the exile of the people to Babylon (4:10). But Micah also prophesies of the return of the people from that captivity. The emphasis on the “remnant” continues to increase especially in the last three chapters (cf. 2:12; 4:7; 5:3,7,8; 7:18).
As a person reads the book of Micah they may notice many similarities to Isaiah. They were both sent to the people of Judah, prophesied during the same time period, and even dealt with the same spiritual issues. Because of this we will find that the messages of these two prophets are quite similar in content and even in wording. In fact there is one section in Micah that is almost identical to that of Isaiah (cf. Isaiah 2:2-4 and Micah 4:1-3).
Regarding the prophet Micah, Luther wrote, “In short he denounces, he prophesies, he preaches, etc. Ultimately, however, his meaning is that even though Israel and Judah have to go to pieces, Christ will yet come and make all things good.” Micah is again similar to Isaiah in that the Messianic kingdom is referred to often even in this short book (2:12-13; 4:1-8; 5:2-4). In addition to the prophecy of the virgin’s son found in Isaiah, Micah adds the prophecy that the Messiah would be born in the city of Bethlehem, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting” (Micah 5:2). It was this prophecy in the book of Micah that the chief priests and scribes directed Herod to when the Magi came inquiring about the birthplace of the baby Jesus (Matthew 2:1-6).
The prophecy of Micah in chapter 3:12 regarding the destruction of Jerusalem is quoted in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah by the Jewish leaders. In the New Testament, Matthew records Jesus quoting from Micah 7:6 (cf. Matthew 10:35-36) and also quotes Micah’s prophecy of the birthplace of the Messiah in 5:2 (cf. Matthew 2:5-6). In addition to all that, the apostle John tells us that the people of Jesus’ day regarded this prophecy of Micah as Scripture, “Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?”
Micah certainly presents the grace of God in the descriptions of Jesus’ ultimate reign over the whole world in the Messianic kingdom (2:12-13; 4:1-8; 5:4-5a). It is clear that Micah is looking ahead to the coming of the Messiah whose sacrifice pictured so clearly in Isaiah 53, would bring about the eternal redemption of our souls. Micah closes his book with these words of comfort and hope, “Who is a God like You, Pardoning iniquity And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He does not retain His anger forever, Because He delights in mercy. He will again have compassion on us, And will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins Into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:18-19).
It is because of this confidence in the forgiveness of his own sins that Micah was able to say, “Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me. Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The LORD will be a light to me. I will bear the indignation of the LORD, Because I have sinned against Him, Until He pleads my case And executes justice for me. He will bring me forth to the light; I will see His righteousness” (Micah 7:7-9). May this ever be our confidence as well!
I. The Prediction of Retribution (1-2)
II. The Promise of Restoration (3-5)
III. The Plea for Repentance (6-7)
Note: This study was prepared for the Bible Class at Zion Lutheran Church,
Lawrenceville, GA by Pastor Nathanael Mayhew